Chapter Text

Shadow leaned over the balcony. The Babylon Rogues’ extreme gear leaned up against one end of the balcony, far and away from the brooding hedgehog. A trail of smoke slithered up from the cigarette like a deadly, coiling snake and vanished into the hot air. Shadow stared off at the expanse of Central City: the rising towers, the glittering lights, and the light pollution that blocked out any sign of the beautiful stars. The amazing constellations that lived above them dwelled out of sight. Constellations that always were, the ones that will be, and the ones that never existed at all. 

His silhouette, captured by the twinkling lights of the city, made Sonic’s heart skip a beat. For a moment, he remembered the two of them laying against a tree at Restoration HQ. Back then, the sun slowly dipped below the horizon and cast an ethereal golden glow across the ruined cityscape. The scent of lavender and coffee and something spiced surrounded him in a blanket of familiar safety. In contentment. Most of all, he recalled the warmth of Shadow and the way the sunlight sluiced around his quills like gentle ocean currents. He seemed angelic then. But now? Sonic only felt the oppressive heat of the night, smelled the acrid stench of cigarette smoke, and watched the hazy silhouette of Shadow the Hedgehog, cast in washed out blues, staring out at nothing at all.

A plate of cake and ice cream slid across the balcony towards the brooding hedgehog. Shadow glanced down at it, at the hand that slid it in his direction, then down at the streets below. He brought the cigarette back up to his lips, took a long, wavering drag, then let the smoke fill the space between them.

“I… didn’t know you smoked,” Sonic said, watching the tip of the death stick flare up with fading embers. Shadow didn’t speak. He inhaled more cancerous smoke and let it drift out of his nose. Sonic watched him, no, truly looked at him for the first time in… months.

Shadow was skinny. Gaunt. His cheeks sunk in and bags dragged his eyes down and oily grease covered the hedgehog from head to toe. Quills stuck out in odd spots and stains covered his gloves and his inhibitor rings lost their sheen. He looked unwell. Sonic stepped back and rubbed his arm and shook his head.

“Right, well…,” he said in a low voice, pushing the plate closer to Shadow, “Rouge thought you might want some food. You look like… Uh… Just eat something before you go.” The living weapon silently stared forwards. Ash fell off of his cigarette, carried off by the gentle breeze far and away. 

The blue hedgehog shook his head lightly, turned away, and…

And noticed the sliding glass door was completely shut.

What? the weary hero thought. When did it…?

He tugged on the handle. Nothing. He pulled it harder. Nothing, still. He grabbed it with both hands. It still wouldn’t budge. He pressed his foot up against the balcony itself and tugged until his fingers slipped and he fell backwards and smacked his head hard against the concrete flooring. The hedgehog let out a hissing squeal, kicking his feet as he forced himself upright. He sighed loudly and dragged the bags under his eyes down.

“Guess I’ll just knock,” he said. Sonic raised his hand to tap against the glass when a loud voice punctured the thin barrier.

“Who’s ready for some karaoke!” Rouge’s sultry voice sang out. Loud music blasted and a small cheer rippled through the interior of the apartment.

“Rouge, you traitor—!” Sonic said, bringing his fists up to pound on the glass. “Hello!? Hello!? Can someone open the door!?” 

After a minute of banging and yelling, Sonic pressed his forehead against the glass and groaned loudly. He turned around and leaned against the door. Shadow remained unmoved. Cigarette smoke still rose up into the air, and the plate of food sat untouched. The hedgehog sighed and shook his head. He could ask Shadow to teleport them inside, but that would involve Shadow: A. Responding to anything he said, and B. Having to touch Shadow in some way shape or form. Alternatively, he could just jump up onto the roof or down to the main entrance. Yeah, that’s it. He would jump down. Sonic put one foot up on the balcony and readied himself.

“She locked the front door,” Shadow said. A coarse, airy tone filled his words.

Sonic blinked, thought it over, then pulled his foot back down with a loud thump.

“Fuck,” the blue hedgehog whispered.

He was stuck here. Stuck with Shadow the Hedgehog.

Gloved fingers ran through his quills, pulling at them until they neared their breaking point. He hissed and shook his head and, with all of the slowness he could muster, turned his back to the balcony and leaned against it. Reflexively, he took in a deep breath, but only managed to inhale more of the cigarette smoke. Sonic coughed and waved his hand.

“Chaos, could you blow your toxic fumes in another direction?” he asked. 

Shadow said nothing. His amber gaze flicked to the plate of cake and ice cream, and then, he moved his hand further away. Sonic’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head.

“Wow, guess you can hear me after all,” he said, a tinge of venom lacing his words. The living silhouette winced and took another drag. Neither spoke a word as the thumping baseline from within the apartment buzzed in their bones. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently.

tap.

tap.

Tap.

TAp.

TAP.

TAP.

TAP.

TAPTAPTAPTAPTAPTAP—

“Stop tapping your foot,” Shadow whispered out. 

Sonic’s foot slammed down, his body jerking to face the living skeleton.

“You— You—! First real words out of you in three months—After you—!” Sonic’s outstretched finger closed into a fist that he brought to place up against his own head. He clasped both of his hands together, leaned over the railing, and prayed to Gaia for the strength to get through this nightmare.

Sonic rocked back and forth.

Shadow took a drag from his cigarette.

The pulsing baseline from within the apartment shook their bones.

Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump.

The living silhouette exhaled.

“Happy birthday.”

Sonic let out a tirade of curses in his head, but not one slipped out of his lips. Shadow didn’t deserve his rage and his anger. He didn’t deserve to see him like that. Not anymore. Not after everything. The blue hedgehog stretched himself out, his hands pressed against the railing. He inhaled, then let it slip out.

“Thanks,” Sonic whispered. “Happy birthday to you, too.”

“Mm,” Shadow hummed. 

The blue hedgehog nodded and leaned over the railing as cars slowly drove along. Inside, the song finally died down before another almost immediately cued up. Tails’s voice floated through as he covered a song a little out of his vocal range. Sonic chuckled and picked at the fabric of his glove. A gust of wind brought another puff of smoke right into his face, and Sonic batted it away.

“Dude, really…?” he whispered. Shadow just kept inhaling and exhaling, inhaling and exhaling. “When did you start smoking?”

Shadow shrugged. “Does it matter?”

The living wind shrugged in return. “Maybe it does.”

The red and black hedgehog hummed. “Three months ago.”

“Ah.”

The living weapon flicked ashes off of his cigarette. “Does it bother you?”

“Of course it does,” Sonic said quickly. He paused, biting the inside of his cheek hard. “I mean… Yeah. I guess I just don’t want you to die, you know?”

Shadow nodded his head and examined his nearly gone death stick. “That’s a pretty low bar, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he whispered in return. The two stayed silent, letting the beeping cars and soft exhales of smoke do the talking for them.

“I’d quit if you asked me to,” Shadow whispered. “This could be my last cigarette. Just tell me to stop, and I will.”

Sonic stared at the other hedgehog. 

“What is this, Shadow?” he asked. “What is this really?”

Shadow looked down and shrugged his shoulders. He twirled the cigarette in his fingers, and for a moment, his fingers readied to flick it away. But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled more smoke into his lungs. He pulled the smoke into his lungs and he looked into Sonic’s eyes and he exhaled slowly and carefully. The blue hedgehog took a beat, then shook his head.

“Shadow, you can’t do this…,” Sonic said, sighing loudly. He pressed his hands to his face. “You know you can’t do this. You can’t keep doing this.”

“I know.”

“And on my birthday?”

“It’s technically my birthday today—”

“Shadow.”

“I know. It’s not fair.”

“You can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep walking into my life like this, acting like… like this, then vanishing when… when...” Sonic said, his words fading off into the wind. The blue hedgehog turned away and walked in a small, tight circle.

Shadow stared down over the balcony and nodded.

“I know,” he whispered.

“You– You– You left me at the Restoration HQ after everything that happened, you– you pretended I didn’t exist for sixth months, you agree to a date, then—aggh—the rain ruined my phone, by the way, so thanks for that—you show up at the CrossWorlds Grand Prix and—and then—you just had to rub salt into the wound, didn’t you?

Shadow stayed silent, staring at the cigarette as the embers crept up the filter and singed the ends of his gloves.

“And now… this?” Sonic said, his hands dragging through his quills over and over obsessively. “I just… I don’t get you, Shadow…” Sonic turned around and slid down to the floor, his back against the balcony wall. A burning sensation formed in his nose and a pressure pushed against his eyes that he fought to hold back. “You saved my life that day in the field. You looked after me. You made it seem like… between us, there was… And then you just… You just left. And when I thought you came back…”

Shadow stared ahead blankly. He flicked away the butt of the cigarette while his mind went somewhere else entirely. Sonic rubbed his eyes and shook his head. The music thumped inside and colors spilled out of the apartment windows. Outside, the colors became muted and the music distorted as it hit the balcony.

“Why are you here, Shadow?” Sonic asked.

The living silhouette looked far and away.

“I don’t know,” Shadow whispered. “Rouge dragged me along.”

“That’s it? ‘Rouge made me do it’ is your excuse?”

“No. No, it’s not…”

“Then what, Shadow?” 

The hybrid closed his eyes and exhaled. “I… I came here… to talk.”

“To talk?” Sonic scoffed. “You want to talk now?”

Shadow nodded his head.

Sonic bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. “And if I don’t want to talk?”

Shadow flicked away the butt of the cigarette and rubbed away the ash on his gloves. “Then, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that,” the thin hedgehog said. “I won’t bother you. I won’t try to reconnect with you. I won’t intrude into your life anymore. Our interactions will only be on your terms or when necessary against common threats.”

Sonic chewed on his tongue and laughed softly. 

“I want to tell you no, Shadow. I want to tell you to go away so I can finally get over you. So I can finally move on with my life. You leaving me behind at the Restoration hurt, but I had hope. I clung to this idea of us, that we could be something someday. That we could actually date and be happy. And then we almost had it, you know? That date started off so nice, and for a moment, it was like living in a dream. But, I guess everyone has to wake up from dreams sooner or later. Right, Shads?”

Shadow hummed and tapped his air shoes against the floor. The pair lingered in silence for a bit longer as the music inside continued to thump along. For the first time, Shadow turned to face Sonic, and for the first time in three months, the two looked into each other’s eyes.

“I’m not hoping for forgiveness. I’m not hoping to be accepted as an acquaintance of yours. I’m not hoping for any kind of kindness from you. I’m only hoping that you’ll at least hear me out,” Shadow whispered. “If you’ll let me, I want to give you the explanation you deserve… to offer any kind of peace that I can.”

Sonic popped his knuckles and squeezed the bar atop the balcony’s edge. He should say no. He should tell Shadow to leave. He should curse Shadow out. He should let loose all of the words he had stored up for months and months. He should be as nasty to Shadow as Shadow was to him. But he didn’t. He didn’t do any of that. Shadow didn’t deserve to be heard out, but Sonic didn’t stop him. He should’ve. But he didn’t. Because for all of the anger and malice and vitriol that Sonic had built up towards the Ultimate Lifeform, he could never truly escape that sliver of affection he had for the other hedgehog. A small part of him still clung to the one day, in a far flung future, they could be something. And so, Sonic closed his eyes and let all of those thoughts and feelings slip out to be carried away by the warm breeze.

“Then start from the top, Shadow,” Sonic whispered. “What happened that day?”

— THREE MONTHS AGO —

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The dryer let out a puff of smoke as the drum rolled to a thundering, screeching stop. Sonic’s shoes and socks tumbled to the bottom with a cacophonous clanging, making the hedgehog cover his ears. He pressed the start button repeatedly, and let out a groan as the machine failed to start up again. The hedgehog reached behind, unplugged it, plugged it back in. The machine beeped, and began to roll again.

“I take back everything I’ve said about machines! Tails was going to kill—”

The drum screeched and detached from the internal pulleys and support rollers, slamming to the bottom of the machine and killing the power completely. Sonic’s mouth dropped open as a silent scream rolled out of his mouth. He turned around, walked over to the couch, slammed himself face first into the nearest throw pillow, and screamed as loud as he could. 

The fox themed clock ticked in a droning and mocking staccato. Rain pelted the house, showering it with tears. The sky yelled outside with each crack of thunder. On one hand, Sonic wished the noise would be filled with the sound of Tails’ yelling or the sounds of tinkering and cries of triumph as the fox figured out a particularly challenging problem or the loud crunch of him chewing yet another mint even though Sonic told him to stop eating them half an hour ago. Yet, on the other hand, in a situation like this, he was glad Tails wasn’t home. Probably. Maybe. No, he wished he was home.

Over the last month, Sonic spent most of his time alone, although not by choice. Ever since the Starfall Islands Incident, his closest friends all ventured off on their own journeys. Knuckles returned to his island to continue carrying for it and watching over the master emerald, Amy made the choice to go on her own adventures and see the world in ways she hadn’t seen before, and Tails voiced his desire to foster a stronger sense of independence, choosing a path that led him away from Sonic. And although these individual journeys were temporary and the cobalt hedgehog would soon see them regularly again, these last several weeks bore into his heart like a deep earth drill. In the past, he himself chose solitary adventures, but when it was forced upon him without his choice, suddenly solitude felt so strangely lonely.

The down-on-his-luck speedster pulled out his cellphone, part of a pair that the fox forced them to buy when his adopted younger brother made the decision to strike out on his own, and pulled up Tails’ messages.

Little Buddy

Sonic

do you have signal?

ill take that as a no

DO NOT FREAK OUT

i broke the dryer

Today, 11:14 AM

—— New Messages ——

Sonic

proud of you!

stay safe and make sure to eat something other than mints!

Little Buddy

It’s evening here, but good morning!

I just left Spagonia, so my service might be spotty again.

Today, 7:07 AM

Sonic

good morning

where are you at today?

Today, 6:32 AM

Sonic

thats awesome!

i cant wait either!

Little Buddy

Sorry, Sonic! I’ve been traveling around the Mazuri region, so my signal hasn’t been the best! I’m doing fine, and I’m seeing so much of the world! I can’t wait to talk all about it when I get home.

4:04 PM

Sonic

good morning tails

havent heard from you in a bit

are you doing okay? need anything? i can speed there in no time

6:31 AM

Wednesday, March 11

Sonic

good night tails

make sure to brush your teeth

11:32 PM

Wednesday, March 4

Sonic

that looks amazing little buddy!

make sure to stay warm!

Little Buddy

2:56 PM

Monday, March 2

Sonic

hope youre okay

never realized how quiet the house is without you here

12:15 PM

Saturday, February 28

Little Buddy

🫡

Sonic

oh.

haha. youre right.

stay safe. im here if you need anything.

Little Buddy

Sorry, my service has been spotty!

Besides, isn’t the point of going on my own for a little while independence?

3:29 PM

Sonic

helloooo?

10:15 AM

Sonic

i might be persuaded to forgive you if you bring back some international chilidogs

you there?

9:15 AM

Tuesday, February 24

Little Buddy

No!! I’m sorry!!

Sonic

you are in SO MUCH TROUBLE when you get back

im changing your contact name to miles

Little Buddy

I’m kidding! I landed fine!

✈️✈️✈️

Sonic

YOU WHAT

ANSWER THE PHONE

ANSWER THE PHONE

Little Buddy

I crashed.

4:15 AM

Monday, February 23

Little Buddy

I will, I promise! I’ve flown the Tornado a thousand times! I’ll let you know when I land.

Sonic

text me when you land!

AND PLEASE BE SAFE

3:15 PM

Sunday, February 22

Sonic

tails when i get my hands on you tails

Little Buddy

“I play by my own rules! Remember that!”

Sonic

you are an adorable monster of my own making

please be less like me

Little Buddy

It’s not that hard when you don’t follow the law

Sonic

how did you transfer our numbers from the communicators to the cell carrier? is that even allowed?

10:31 AM

Sunday, February 22

You added Little Buddy to the chat

The blue hedgehog tossed his phone aside and stared at the ceiling. Yellow sunlight faded away, slivers of light vanishing as clouds rolled across the sky outside. With a sigh and a groan, Sonic grabbed his shoes and socks out of the dryer, put on his rainboots, grabbed an umbrella, and dashed out of Tails’ home.

The skies wept rain upon Central City, coating the busy metropolis with a thick layer of misty haze. Emerald eyes the shade of life itself peered out of the foggy laundromat window. Rain pattered against the hand-print and condensation covered glass while cracks of lightning illuminated the sky with dazzling patterns. Cold air seeped through the cracks in the sealant, but the warm air of the running equipment fought it back to the point of extinction. Although it appeared like any other miserable March day, the hedgehog found himself content with rocking back in his chair and reading the latest travel magazine. All alone, Sonic wondered what his friends were up to. 

He wondered what Shadow was up to. Sonic pulled his cellphone his quills and popped open his messages:

Shads

Sonic

I GOT CAUGHT IN THE RAIN

how do you dry out soaked shoes again?

nevermind, im tossing them in the dryer

10:44 AM

Wednesday, March 18

—— New Messages ——

Sonic

been a few days since i last texted

didnt want you to think the great sonic the hedgehog forgot about you

hope youre doing okay faker

2:44 PM

Saturday, March 14

Sonic

do you ever feel like youre romanticizing the past?

like youre making things out to be greater than they were in your head?

sometimes i feel like that, you know?

maybe one day ill tell you what i mean

2:44 PM

Tuesday, March 10

Sonic

ive been caring for some chao off and on for a while

theres one that looks a lot like you

ill send you a pic when i get the chance

9:26 AM

Sunday, March 8

Sonic

hey you free for dinner?

i know this great chilidog place

or we can go wherever, im not picky!

5:09 PM

Friday, March 6

Sonic

i dreamt you died

stupid, i know

i didnt know grief could feel that strong in a dream

i still feel it now even though im awake

i think i understand how everyone felt in the field that day

i thought i knew grief especially after the biolizard but

now that i really know you, it hurts way worse. just the thought alone kills me inside, you know?

im sorry shads. of course you know. that was stupid of me to say

when you see me next, you get one free punch

hope i get to see you soon

sleep well faker

2:10 AM

Sonic

i had nightmare

first one in months

2:04 AM

Wednesday, March 4

Sonic

yeah, i didnt think so

you have people to save after all mr hot shot GUN agent

stay safe out there

12:44 PM

Sonic

houses are quiet with no one in them

i bet you like the quiet though. im not sure i like it so much

maybe a quick run to Green Hill will clear my mind

you in?

12:30 PM

Saturday, February 28

Sonic

rouge mentioned you completed a tough mission?

are you alright? youre not hurt, are you?

im imagining you read it and said “hmph. im the ultimate lifeform. im not a weakling like you, faker.”

was i close?

1:24 PM

Sonic

seems like everyone is off having their own adventures lately

im feeling a bit left out!

does GUN need any help? or you? im itching for some action!/dd>

12:12 PM

Thursday, February 26

Sonic

tails did something super brave today. ill tell you when i see you next.

rouge mentioned youre working for GUN again, right? is that going okay?

hey if im bothering you, just tell me. i feel weird sending you all these texts with no reply.

alright, well, i hope commander tower isnt working you too hard.

7:37 AM

Monday, February 23

Sonic

hey shads, i got a phone! tails convinced me to get something a little more sturdy than the communicators since i keep breaking them.

i feel like im going to break this too, but whatever makes him feel better, you know?

plus this cell carrier is supposed to have really good coverage, so thats a plus.

anyway, i havent heard from you in a long time. i hope youre doing okay. im looking forward to racing you sometime soon?

8:31 AM

Sunday, February 22

You added Shads to the chat

The lonely hero sighed and tossed his phone onto the table, clasping his hands over his face. This was killing him. He’d grown so accustomed to coming and going as he pleased, seeing his friends in passing or as often as he’d liked. Now, with everyone off on their own adventures, the isolation left a hollow void in his chest.

Sonic hadn’t seen or heard from Shadow since that night on the roof six months ago. After staying awake for several days avoiding nightmares, the hedgehog eventually snapped and ran. And who else better suited to track him down and nurse some sense back into him than the Ultimate Lifeform? However, Sonic didn’t realize that upon waking up in the closest hospital that that night would be the last time he would see him.

Shadow never once graced his vision, returned a phone call, or even sent a single text back to the lonely hedgehog. Sonic only received scraps of Shadow through others, living vicariously through their mentions and memories of their interactions. Rouge describing a G.U.N. mission here, Cream retelling his infrequent spars with Gemerl there, even Espio mentioning off-handedly how the Chaotix and Shadow crossed paths on a case of a stolen weaponized computer virus. 

Each story built the image of the same hedgehog he always knew, one who lived and breathed yet lingered so far out of his reach. Hell, he even knew that Shadow frequently stayed with Rouge at her Club Rouge studio, yet as fate would have it, their paths never once crossed. Maybe it was the work of cruel destiny tearing them apart like the wings of a butterfly that carried the universe on its wings. Like a constellation waiting to be discovered, to be named, only for one of its stars to vanish from the night sky.

And yet, as the months rolled by and the warmth in his chest grew and grew, he began to truly understand the depths of his affection for Shadow. He realized it six months ago, and the longer the two spent apart, the more he wished to be back in those dark days. Days overcast with clouds of misery that held a bright, shining beacon colored black and red. He wanted to be around Shadow. He wanted to be with Shadow. Maybe one day he’d get the chance to confess his feelings. But for now, in this old laundromat in the center of Central City, Sonic would have to settle for his memory.

Sonic hummed and rose out of his seat as the dryer beeped loudly. He cracked open the lid, fished out his socks and his pair of running shoes. Dampness soaked into his fingers. Still not quite dry.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the hedgehog groaned, tossing the shoes and the socks straight back into the dryer. “Two cycles and they’re still not dry? Is this thing broken?”

Sonic closed the machine forcefully, rocking it a little bit, and pressed the button to start another twenty minute round. The dryer rolled for half a second before stopping. It beeped loudly, loud enough that it hurt the hedgehog’s ears, and a message rolled across the LCD screen.

“CREDITS EXPIRED. PLEASE INSERT FOUR RINGS TO CONTINUE DRY CYCLE.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sonic said, bumping his forehead against the machine. His fists lightly pummeled the dryer as he fought the urge to grab his belongings, sprint to a desert half way across the planet, and let them air dry. Instead, Sonic stepped back and took a deep breath. “You cannot let this machine beat you, Sonic. It senses weakness and will strike the first chance it gets.”

The door to the laundromat chimed as another patron entered, but Sonic paid them little mind. He had a machine to defeat. A self-made ‘badnik’ to put in its place. The hedgehog fished out a small bag from his quills and tossed out the remaining rings into the palm of his hand. Four. He had four rings left. Four rings to fully dry his shoes and his socks. He slipped them into the slot, one after the other after the other. And then he dropped the fourth one.

“No!” he yelled out, his hand grazing the golden band as it fell. The ring clinked against the ground and rolled underneath the dryer. The hedgehog dropped to the dust and grime covered floor and jammed his hand underneath the machine as far as it would go. He dragged his palm back and forth quickly, but the ring was lost forever.

“No…,” Sonic groaned out. He pressed his face against the floor and flattened his body out. The hedgehog resigned to his fate. Maybe running to a desert wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Would Knuckles be angry if he hopped up to the Sandopolis Zone to air out his socks? Shoes clanked across the laundromat, stopping in front of the splayed out hedgehog. Sonic groaned and waved his hand at whoever stood over him.

“Sorry, sir and/or ma’am. I’m going to be a minute. I’m in mourning.”

The figure didn’t respond to the remark. Instead, a single ring slid into the dryer’s coin slot. The dryer beeped and began to whir, spinning the shoes and the socks haphazardly inside in a cacophonous drumbeat. Sonic’s head shot up to the plastic window, an open mouth smile stretching across his face as his eyes twinkled.

“Oh, yeah! Now this is happening!” the blue hedgehog said, hopping up to his feet and watching the items inside swirl around. “Thanks! You saved me a trip to—”

A flash of lightning illuminated the inside of the laundromat. Sonic’s throat swelled and the words became trapped in his lungs. His heart thumped hard, ramming against his chest with all its might. Flies and butterflies alike swarmed and fluttered within him. Their wings tickled and irritated his lungs and his stomach and the inside of his skin, making him want to scratch his chest until they burst free into the open air. His veins ran cold and ran hot all at once, two opposing fronts colliding to create a swirling tornado inside his soul. His breath hitched. 

“The blue hedgehog… of all places,” the black and red hedgehog said. His smug smile and curved quills and rainsoaked umbrella sent a reverberating shiver throughout Sonic’s body. Those eyes made of warm embers thawed out his frozen mind and those words whispered with that rich timbre made a layer of blush form on the blue hedgehog’s cheeks. “It makes sense that an inferior hedgehog like you always needs saving.”

Sonic’s mouth opened and his eyes widened. He laughed, softly at first, then grew in intensity until tears formed at the edges of his lids and dripped down his cheeks. The blue hedgehog held his side where a scar, hidden away by deep blue fur, tingled with a ghostly prickling. After all this time apart, his heart still beat the same way for the rival that once looked over him. That once came for him time and time again when he needed him most. And now, truly alone for the first time in a long, long time, with friends off on their own adventures, Shadow the Hedgehog appeared once again. 

“You wish, faker,” he whispered. “But still…”

Shadow exhaled and laughed softly. He leaned against the dryer and so too did Sonic.

“I’m glad it was you who came to my rescue.”

“Hmph. Let’s not make it a habit,” the hybrid said, his voice teetering on the boundary of a joke and an insult.

“Wouldn’t dream of it! Three times in six months? Talk about a sorry excuse for a hero, am I right?” the blue hedgehog snickered. 

Shadow rolled his eyes at the remark. He turned away from Sonic and trudged back over to his own little area. The cobalt speedster tapped his fingers against his arms rapidly as the living weapon walked away without so much as a scoff. He chuckled and glanced over Shadow’s shoulder at his small table. On it sat a to-go cup of steaming black coffee and a knapsack no doubt filled with dirty clothes in need of washing.

“So, uh… What’re you stopping by for? Laundry?”

The living weapon shook his head and scoffed loudly. He grabbed his knapsack and opened it roughly, not minding the torn threads. “Why else would I be here, hedgehog?”

“Sightseeing? Seeing how us commoners live?” Sonic asked, plopping down at the small table Shadow called his own. 

“See, the problem is that you think you’re funny,” Shadow said, staring sharply at the blue hedgehog. Although the cobalt speedster smiled with all his pearly whites, the Ultimate Lifeform offered only a glare in return.

The hybrid stomped over to the closest washer and tossed his clothes inside. He poured a healthy amount of detergent in, some fabric softener, and slammed the door closed. Shadow made it a point to cover the opening with his body, obscuring Sonic’s view. Although the cobalt speedster tried to peer inside the small porthole, the living weapon covered all the clothing inside. 

“I think you’re laughing on the inside. You’re just afraid to show it,” Sonic said, giving up on trying to peek inside the washer. “It’s okay to admit you think I’m funny and charming and—”

Shadow laughed, forced and artificial, as he faced his rival, spitting out, “The only thing I’m afraid of showing is how much I want to hit you since we’re in public.” 

“You’re ador—” Sonic’s ears burned and his quills straightened out for a fraction of a second. He attempted to wet his dry mouth, only to sound hoarse and sickly. “Uh, so, what, you’re staying with Rouge again? Does she not have a working washer and dryer?”

“Hmph. She does,” Shadow said, sitting across from Sonic at the small table. The blue hedgehog rested his elbows on the surface and his hands in his palms. He kicked his feet back and forth and batted his eyes.

“So…?”

“So, it’s none of your business.” The living weapon crossed his arms and watched the rain patter against the laundromat window absently. Lightning illuminated his face, and the rumbling of thunder vibrated the store itself. The storm itself worked its way into their bones, rattling them around as they spoke.

“Did she find your Hello Kitty sweater? Your My Little Pony socks? Your—”

“I will shove you in a dryer,” Shadow snapped back. Sonic laughed and leaned a little closer to the other hedgehog.

“Aw, come on, don’t be like that! Where’s the Shadow that read me stories to help me sleep all those months ago?”

The living weapon made a motion as if he were going to get up and leave, but Sonic’s words dragged him back into the seat. He plopped back down and sighed. Sonic grinned and scooted closer to the table, ears angled forward to catch every single juicy detail.

“Come on, spill it!”

Shadow took slow sips from his coffee cup. He let the scalding liquid pour down his throat. The silence grew and grew and grew, punctuated only by the pattering of rain and the hum of the machines and the odd crack of thunder. The living weapon sighed as he set the cup back down.

“You want to know so badly, why are you here? Surely the fox has working units.”

Sonic’s grin faltered and he leaned away from the table as the mention of Tails. A buzzing like flies erupted inside his chest, prodding at his insides and biting at the interior of his flesh. He coughed lightly and scratched at his skin to alleviate the sensation. Shadow knew about his living arrangement, however temporary, with Tails. Did he even know the fox went off on his own journey? Just how in the loop with his life was he? Maybe he really was reading… No, maybe Rouge told him? 

“Oh. You know I’m staying there? I thought… Did… Rouge tell you, or?” Sonic asked. The simple question birthed a burning blaze inside his chest, somewhere between painful and euphoric. 

“Stop dodging the question,” Shadow said flatly, his smoldering embers looking anywhere but at Sonic. The blue hedgehog’s ears drooped but let out a hollow laugh to cover the thundering of his beating heart and the intense pulsating in his head.

“Look who’s talking!” he said, his voice forced and a bit strained. Shadow’s ear swiveled in Sonic’s direction before his eyes moved to follow.

“Hmph. You broke one of them, didn’t you?”

“What?” the hedgehog said, his voice pitching up a full octave. A new and thick layer of red burned into his cheeks with no chance of hiding it. “What could possibly have led you to that conclusion?”

Shadow nodded his head in the direction of the running dryer.

“The noise that dryer you shoved your shoes into is currently making. It sounds like the drum is about to break off completely.”

“Oh,” Sonic said, rubbing his neck before covering his face with his hands. He groaned loudly and nodded in defeat. “Yeah… Yeah, I broke his dryer. Like, catastrophic failure. Failure on a level never before seen.”

“Typical,” the hybrid said through laughter.

“Look, Tails is going to be angry enough as is, I don’t need you to pile on,” the hedgehog bemoaned, pulling one of Tails’ mints the fox left behind from his quills. “Now spill it. Why’re you here?”

Sonic popped the mint into his mouth and sloshed it around. Shadow, on the other hand, stared out the window.

“It’s nothing.”

Sonic squinted and leaned close, whispering conspiratorially. “C’mon, I told you! Tell me!” 

“No.”

“What? That’s not fair, Shads! I promise I can keep a secret!”

“No, you absolutely cannot.”

“Oh, yeah? Guess who knows you made me pancakes and read me stories back when I was super sleep deprived? That’s right, no—”

“Rouge, Amy, Cream, Vanilla, Vector, Espio, Charmy—”

“Bro, what!? Rouge said she’d—”

“Did you really think a jewel thief would keep her mouth shut? ”

Sonic opened his mouth to protest before rubbing his temples. He swore he felt a migraine coming on. “Yeah, that one’s on me.”

Shadow laughed softly and shook his head. He groomed his quills absently. “Tch… You really are stupid.”

“Yeah, but you love me anyway.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Shadow said. He pressed a hand against his mouth and his cheeks, looking away from the blue hedgehog. Sonic laughed softly and rocked back and forth in his chair, coming dangerously close to falling backwards.

The drumming of the rain dissipated in their silence. Remnants of rain water trickled down the window and the final vestiges of lightning and thunder rumbled across the sky and the condensation that once obscured the world outside vanished in the wake of the sun’s return. Slivers of light turned into cascades of warmth that flooded into the laundromat. Sonic breathed in and leaned into the sunlight, letting the heat spill over his blue fur. The other hedgehog watched silently. Shadow lingered a little too long on Sonic’s blue fur and stretching body. He coughed and closed his eyes.

The dryer beeped loudly and the drum rolled to a cacophonous stop. A comforting silence, broken only by the whirring of the washer and the occasional car rolling outside, fell over the laundromat. Sonic hopped out of his seat and collected his belongings. He slipped out of his rain boots and pulled his standard running shoes back on. He let out a sigh of relief and shoved the rest of his belongings into a backpack he brought along. Grabbing his umbrella and tucking his phone back into his quills, Sonic walked as slowly as possible to the door.

He wanted this moment to last as long as possible. He wanted this conversation to go on forever. He wanted to stay here, with Shadow, until the sun dipped below the horizon and they absolutely had to part ways. Sonic didn’t want to wait six more months just to see him again. 

“Guess I’ll… see you around?” Sonic asked, stopping near the table. Shadow glanced up at the blue hedgehog. The fire in his ember eyes seemed duller than before. The hybrid shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

“I’m sure our paths will cross again, hedgehog,” he said softly, pulling his eyes towards the ground. Sonic smiled softly and nodded. 

“Yeah, no doubt.”

The lonely hero pressed his hand against the door, the bell chiming as it opened. Sonic stepped out onto the sidewalk and inhaled slowly. Beneath the stench of the city, he still tasted the scent of rain. That lingering aroma that succeeded a light rain, one that hinted towards growth and renewal. New life springing up and thriving in the arriving light. The blue hedgehog wandered down the city street until he came to an intersection. He stared vacantly at the light, waiting for the crosswalk to allow him to continue. For whatever reason, Sonic looked down. Maybe it was a movement out of the corner of his eye, or maybe it was the sight of a familiar color. Regardless of why, Sonic saw it.

His shadow.

Something that would always be there. That would always follow him. Even when the sun disappeared and the clouds overtook the sky, even when it vanished from sight completely, all it would take is a sunny day to bring him back. Sonic smiled and laughed. He laughed louder than he should’ve. The hero wiped away the tear that strayed from his eye and ignored the looks passersby gave him. He turned on his heels and he ran.

The door to the laundromat chimed and Sonic plopped himself back down in the chair. Shadow opened his eyes and furrowed his brow at the sight. The living weapon glanced around, clearly trying to understand why the hedgehog would come back.

“Did you forget something?”

“Yeah, I did,” Sonic said, his thumbs running circles around themselves. “Well, more like I forgot something six months ago.”

Shadow shook his head lightly and tapped a finger against his forearm.

“Alright,” the hybrid said slowly.

“Hey, Shads?” Sonic asked. The blue hedgehog’s foot tapped against the floor like a runaway drum beat, rocking back and forth in the chair.

“Yes?” Shadow answered, his crossed arms acting as a shield for whatever the hedgehog dared to ask.

“Do you wanna maybe… get some dinner sometime?” 

Shadow’s leg halted. He looked at Sonic, held back his laughter, then let it spill forth like a cascading waterfall.

“You want us to get dinner?”

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged his slouched shoulders, smiling and laughing along with Shadow as if clued in on some inside joke.

“I mean, I didn’t think it was that funny of an idea. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, not since… and I was hoping we could… I don’t know… catch up? Talk?” the blue hedgehog said, his voice tapering off, blending with the sounds of the washers and dryers and running machines. 

Shadow opened his mouth to let out an insult, but the way the hedgehog’s body hunched over as if he was protecting something within himself gave him pause. The Ultimate Lifeform closed his mouth and leaned back in his chair. For a brief moment, Shadow thought of life six months ago, and imagined the halls of the Restoration HQ and the voice of a broken hedgehog.

“I work for G.U.N. full time now, Sonic,” he said, slipping the last of his coffee into his mouth before tossing the empty cup into a trashcan. “Go ask one of your friends to go with you. I have work to do.”

Sonic’s tapping foot halted and his fingers twisted together tightly. Shadow noticed the way the blue hedgehog’s straightened posture hunched over and his ears drooped. The Ultimate Lifeform didn’t understand why the mere mention of the hedgehog’s friends produced such a response, but it stirred a fluttering nagging sensation in his chest almost by proxy.

“Ah, right. Can’t keep you from saving the world,” Sonic said, slipping into a cheerful tone even if the smile he wore was far from convincing. 

Shadow sighed and straightened out his quills, humming out, “I’m free tomorrow evening after six.”

The living wind whipped his head in the silhouette’s direction, shaking it dismissively.

“No, don’t do that. I want you to want to be there, alright?”

“And who says I don’t want to be there?”

“You just said—”

“I said that I work full time. What I didn’t say is ‘I don’t want to be there’.”

Sonic’s rocking came to a steady stop. The legs of the chair slapped against the tiled floor and the hedgehog’s hands slipped behind his head. The lonely hero smiled, truly smiled, and laughed softly.

“If you say so, faker,” Sonic said. 

The light in his eyes, that sparkle that lived inside his emerald irises, whispered with the memories the two shared. A light so powerful that it cast a shadow so great it became living and breathing in its own right. And this animated silhouette, one that feared this great light and shied away from it, sat in its presence once more. He breathed it in, bathed in its warmth and its majesty, and wondered for a moment why he strayed so far from it.

Sonic’s heart thumped in his chest and he whispered out the words he longed to say for so, so long.

“So… It’s a date, then.”

Shadow quills straightened for half a second before relaxing. He chuckled and shook his head, that warm timbre chasing away the biting flies that swarmed inside Sonic’s chest. The two hedgehogs laughed, and for a moment, the pain of time and distance no longer existed.

“Whatever you say, hedgehog.”

Sonic stepped out into the newly freed spring sun and raced into the distant horizon.